[Forum] When people are born, they are blessed with a body. They are given their own unique facial features and body shapes that set them apart from the rest of the world. However, thousands of teenagers each year ignore the value of their individuality and choose to change themselves through cosmetic surgery. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery over 200,000 teens received plastic surgery in 2007, triple the number from ten years ago. The reason for this plastic surgery upsurge is simple: the media. At a young age, the media infect children’s brains with images of skinny dolls and buff masculine figures. Barbie, a popular doll of which three are sold every second, all have the same exaggerated body shape with a change of skin tone. Even worse is that over the years, GI Joes and Barbies have gotten buffer and bustier. If GI Joe were real, his biceps would have grown from 12 inches in 1969 to today’s whopping 36 inches. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s arms at their peak were only 22 inches in circumference. —Sophia Jiang
[Features] The Oracle presents an inside scoop on perfect Homecomings.—Sophia Jiang & Kevin Gao
[Entertainment] Rides, mazes and workers thrill visitors—Sophia Jiang
[Sports] The Oracle staff introduces some of the fall sports available to students this year. —Wen Yi Chin, Sophia Jiang & Annie Shuey
[Centerfold] The thought of even touching a worm can cause a person to squirm, let alone the concept of eating them. America portrays the worm as a slimy pink object whose sole value is to help fertilize dirt. The idea of eating something that eats dead organic material disgusts many people. However, in Thailand, locals consume bamboo worms, the larvae of moths that feed on bamboos, as a delicacy. These worms give the same amount of nutrients as meat, are low in fat, and are extremely high in protein and fiber and may help manage alergies and several immune disorders. —Sophia Jiang
[News] Since the beginning of the school year, the Student Executive Council has been planning the Drug and Alcohol Assembly. The assembly featured a guest speaker, Austin Whitney, a motivational speaker who swore off drinking after a car accident paralyzed him and almost killed his best friend. —Sophia Jiang